Last week I had a great opportunity to camp in Washington’s Enchantments. This a magical area in the cascade mountains with chains of pristine alpine lakes leading up the mountains. Its a popular and challenging hike and it can be difficult to get permits to camp overnight; so when a friend of mine with permits for an overnight trip asked me to join, how could I say no.

This is the first backpacking trip I’ve done since high school, and when base camp is 8 miles from the road and at 5500ft of elevation in the cold mountains, this was going to be a little more challenging then what I’m used to. With an old backpack, some new cold weather gear, and a borrowed tent I was ready to go, counting ounces and trying to make my pack a lean as possible. The 4000ft climb up to our camp at upper Snow Lake was a difficult hike, but not as bad as I was expecting, and the views at camp and hiking further into the enchantments the next day was well worth being sore. I made up to Inspiration Lake, passing Lake Viviane, Leprechaun Lake, Sprite Lake, and Perfection Lake, before turning around to get back to camp before dark. Saving most of the upper Enchantments for next time.